Keep your dogs under control

With the lambing season underway dog owners need to ensure their dogs are on a lead at all times.

You may think that your dogs are well behaved and wouldn’t attack sheep but it’s instinct for many and therefore critical they’re kept under control when out and about, but especially when near livestock.

Owning a dog comes with responsibility.

That responsibility extends to making sure your dog does not chase or injure livestock.

To those who are thinking ‘my dog wouldn’t do that’ or ‘my dog is properly trained’ – in the Police Rural Crimes unit’s experience, all of the people they deal with never believe their dog would ever chase or attack livestock, hence their dogs are not under proper control.

There are several outcomes when it comes to dogs worrying livestock – perhaps the most thought-provoking for owners should be the outcome that the landowner shoots the dog, which they are entitled to do in law, to protect their stock.

Not only do owners risk losing their dog – they can then still face a day in court and a hefty bill.”

Police urge people to report these incidents – while the photos of the dead lamb are graphic – it’s hoped that this will encourage owners to keep their dogs under control.

If you witness livestock worrying, please report it and if possible, gather any evidence you can. Photographs are particularly useful but please only take photographs if it is safe to do so.

In the case of the dog that attacked the lambs in the photos, police were actually contacted by the dog owner, informing them that their dog was worrying livestock and they were unable to get it back under control.

By the time the dog had been brought under control it had killed two lambs – and injured three others – and that number may yet rise once the flock has been checked.

If you are out with your dog near livestock – keep it under control, on a lead!